The sanction was imposed after the prince attended a Chinese embassy reception last year without government permission, in full naval uniform.

Lawmakers voted for a 15% cut to his €307,000 (£270,000; $378,000) annual allowance.

The move was suggested by Belgium’s Prime Minister, Charles Michel.

Mr Michel had previously warned the prince to seek foreign ministry permission before conducting any diplomatic activity.

Despite that, the royal went to the embassy event and tweeted a photo of himself there.

How did he argue against the fine?
Prince Laurent, who is the younger brother of King Philippe, wrote a lengthy emotional letter to parliament before the vote on his endowment, arguing that, as a royal, he is unable to work for a living.

He described the vote as “the trial of my life” and said it would “likely cause me serious prejudice” if MPs went against him.

“This allowance, the reduction of which is being discussed as a result of political or media currents, is the price of a life – the price of my life, which is largely behind me now,” he wrote.

The prince, 54, said the royal family had obstructed his attempts to be financially independent.

“I even had to get permission to marry, and even today I pay the price for choosing a woman I love, without title or fortune,” he wrote in the three-page self-defence.

Lawmakers ultimately rejected his claim that no citizen of their country had been so exploited, voting to cut his stipend by 93 to 23 votes.

The move is effectively a €46,000 fine. However, some MPs argued that since princes are not obliged to seek an endowment, it should instead be viewed as a deduction from a donation.

Who is the prince?
Prince Laurent is no stranger to controversy and is sometimes termed the prince maudit – the “cursed prince” – in Belgium.

He has racked up several speeding fines, and his unofficial appearance at the Chinese event – held for the 90th anniversary of the Chinese army – was not the first of its kind.

He had previously been criticised for attending meetings in Libya when the late Muammar Gaddafi was still in power, and making an unsanctioned 2011 trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo, a former Belgian colony.

Despite this, he is also seen as a likeable figure, if something of an oddball, AFP news agency notes.

The animal lover recently confessed that he wished he could “converse with an octopus or a fly”.

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Source: BBC

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Salah Abdeslam was escorted by two masked police officers, and refused to stand when requested to.

“I do not wish to answer any questions,” he said when asked to confirm his identity.

Abdeslam has refused to speak to investigators since his March 2016 arrest.

Judge Marie-France Keutgen told the court that the suspect had also refused to have photos or video taken of him during the court proceedings.

What is Abdeslam accused of?

French prosecutors believe Abdeslam played a key role in the Paris attacks, in which gunmen and suicide bombers targeted a concert hall, stadium, restaurants and bars, killing 130 people and injuring hundreds more.

He became Europe’s most wanted man after the mass killings, and was captured in Brussels four months later.

The defendant’s brother, Brahim, was among the Paris attackers and died in a suicide blast outside a cafe.

Abdeslam is not expected to go on trial in France until 2020 at the earliest.

The charges he now faces in Brussels are not related to events in Paris, but to a shootout he had with police while on the run in Belgium.

Abdeslam and his suspected accomplice Sofian Ayari, 24, are accused of possessing illegal weapons and the attempted murder of police officers in a terrorist context.

The men allegedly fought a gun battle with officers who raided the flat where they were holed up in the Belgian capital. They face up to 40 years in prison if found guilty.

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Source: BBC

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A French national but raised and resident in Brussels, Salah Abdeslam fled back to Belgium after the attacks in Paris on Nov. 13, 2015 that killed 130 people, hiding from police for months before being detained.

Four days after his arrest on March 18, 2016, Brussels was hit by another deadly militant attack.

He is standing trial in Belgium over his alleged involvement in a shootout with police in the Brussels borough of Forest three days before he was arrested close to his family home in the city.

Abdeslam, who was initially set to stand trial on Monday, has appointed a new lawyer. The lawyer had asked for more time to prepare his case. He was not present at the court on Monday, Belgian media said.

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Source: Reuters

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The striker was at the heart of Belgium’s opener when his shot forced a save, allowing Eden Hazard to tap in.

An Andres Guardado penalty saw the scores level at half-time but Lukaku nudged in a cross to restore the lead.

A fine touch and low finish by Hirving Lozano restored parity and he then volleyed Mexico ahead before Lukaku converted his 30th Belgium goal.

The close-range finish ended the scoring on 70 minutes and saw Manchester United forward Lukaku join Bernard Voorhoof and Paul van Himst in sharing the record.

Voorhoof set his mark between 1928 and 1940, while Van Himst reached the mark between 1960 and 1974. At just 24, Lukaku looks set to take the record to new heights and he could set his own standard in Tuesday’s friendly with Japan in Brussels.

Belgium, coached by former Everton boss Roberto Martinez, are now unbeaten in 14 matches and will feature at the World Cup in Russia having eased through qualifying.

Mexico will also be at the tournament and continue their preparations against Poland in Gdansk on Monday.

They bettered possession with 58% against Belgium and 22-year-old PSV Eindhoven striker Lozano caught the eye, leaving Thibaut Courtois motionless with his first strike before lashing an instinctive volley in for his seventh goal at international level.

Neymar and Jesus on target for Brazil

Neymar scored and missed a penalty before a thunderous strike from Real Madrid’s Marcelo and a simple finish by Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus gave Brazil a 3-0 lead against Japan by half-time in their friendly at Stade Pierre-Mauroy, home of French side Lille.

Brazil conceded a late consolation but have now lost just once in 16 matches as they get set to face England at Wembley Tuesday.

European champions Portugal cruised to a 3-0 win over Saudi Arabia to continue their own World Cup preparations in Viseu. A fine low strike from Joao Mario added to goals from Manuel Fernandes and Concalo Guedes, with Cristiano Ronaldo left out of the squad.

Newcastle striker Aleksandar Mitrovic found the net as Serbia secured a 2-0 win over China in Guangzhou in their first fixture since sacking Slavoljub Muslin despite qualifying for the World Cup.

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Source: BBC Sport

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